


Ones and Zeros

by GloomxBoy



Category: My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco
Genre: Adventure, M/M, Mind Reading, Spies & Secret Agents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:41:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21568588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GloomxBoy/pseuds/GloomxBoy
Summary: Gerard Way is the best agent in the business. His secret? He can read everyone’s mind.Well, he thought he could, until he meets the infamous Frank Iero.Aside from not being able to read his mind, Frank was mysterious, cunning, and dangerously good-looking. He may seem like a mess, but his disarrayed actions always contribute to a bigger picture. He was the perfect person to drive Gerard insane.No one knew how difficult this mission would be, especially not Gerard. To remain the best agent, he must figure out all of Frank’s secrets and he only has 3 weeks to do so.
Relationships: Frank Iero/Gerard Way
Comments: 9
Kudos: 19





	1. New Beginnings, Bad Chances

“I’m tellin’ you the money ain’t here!” _“Please don’t look under the floorboards.”_

“You’re lying.”

“Oh yeah, where’s ya proof?” _“Just don’t go near the AC unit.”_

“I don’t need any. Guard, go lift up that floorboard by the AC unit.”

A lanky man, who was previously standing in the corner, sauntered over to the indicated floorboard and yanked on it. Sure enough, it lifted with easy and revealed a cache of money and jewels.

“Nice job, now lock up the criminal, boys.”

It was just another day for Gerard, reading minds and dealing justice. He was almost like a superhero, but no one knew of course. Gerard barely even knew it himself. He had no idea how he read minds, he just could and that was that.

The criminal, a man named Phillip, was seated and tied to a chair in the middle of a musty motel room. Gerard was looming above him, reveling in yet another victory. Gerard’s personal security guard and right-hand man, Brendon Urie, was the one who lifted the floorboard, and was now retrieving the stolen goods. The other officials in the room had walked over to Phillip and untied him, just to put him into handcuffs and walk him out of the room. 

Brendon had finished gathering the money and handed it to a trusted associate, who was going to return it straight to the bank. Brendon then walked over to Gerard.

“I don’t know how you do it, sir. It amazes me every time,” he said as he ran a hand through his thick black hair.

“It’s all in a day's work. Now let’s head back to the office before all hell breaks loose. God knows they can’t last an hour without us there.”

And with that, they walked out of the motel, toward the parking lot, and into the limousine that escorted them back to the agency building.

***

Frank Iero couldn’t pay rent, _again._  
But that didn’t matter because in 3 three weeks, the blasphemous building complex would be gone, along with the entire state of New Jersey.

You see, Frank may seem like your average 30 year old bum, but behind that greasy hair was one of the most cunning minds in the world. Fueled by mayhem, logic, and coffee, Frank Iero had devised a plan that would engrave his name into the history books. His plan was fail-proof, there was no way it could flop.

That is, until the CIA came banging on his door.

“Mr. Iero, we know you’re in there. We have been ordered by the CIA to retrieve you and bring you in for questioning. It seems you’ve been up to some questionable acts that might bring a disturbance to the nation. Now, open the door.”

The men then started aggressively knocking on the door, which scared the living shit out of Frank. He jumped up from his previous position on the couch and started to scramble around his three-room apartment. Of course he was startled, the fucking CIA was at his door!

Frank was practically running laps around his apartment: past the front door, through the living room, into the kitchen, around the table, back into the living room, towards the bathroom, out of the bathroom and eventually he found himself standing right in front of the door again. Frank peered through the peephole and was greeted by the sight of two gruff looking men, clad in matching black suits and sunglasses. Frank then cleared his throat and attempted to sound as innocent as possible.

“I’m sorry sir, but you seem to have the wrong guy. I would _never_ do anything to disturb the nation.”

“Well your purchase history begs to differ. Now open the door, this isn’t a subject to be taken lightly.” Frank was hesitant. Obviously he didn’t want to be abducted by the CIA, but then again, he did have _great_ negotiating skills.

After a few moments, Frank finally opened the door. He had his hands raised, ready to propose a compromise between him and the agents, but instead he was met with a rag being stuffed into his face. Frank’s eyelids immediately felt heavy and he began to sink to the floor, the only thing on his mind being, ‘ _fucking chloroform, always ruining my fun_.’ 

Then everything went black.

***

“What did I tell you? We’re gone for 2 hours and everyone has lost their shit.”

Gerard and Brendon walked into the agency’s main building to find complete chaos. People were rushing about: delivering papers, making phone calls, sending emails, checking files, and who knows what else. Brendon was extremely confused as to what was happening but Gerard knew exactly what was going on, given that he could hear everyone’s thoughts.

_“All of New Jersey, gone!”_

_“How the hell did someone get that much C4?”_

_“Perfect time to take a vacation in California...”_

Gerard sighed, it was times like this where he was thankful for his ability, and thankful that he knew how to tune people out. Gerard turned to Brendon and gave him a brief run down of what’s happening.

“Someone has threatened to wipe out all of New Jersey. Supposedly, they have six cases of C4 planted around the state.” Gerard sounded so nonchalant as he talked. Brendon, however, was the exact opposite.

“Wipe out all of New Jersey! Who in their sane mind would want to do that?”

“Well, I presume our suspect is _not_ sane, but we won’t know until we meet them.”

“Meet them, how would we-,” but Brendon was cut off by the secretary, a woman named Mars, approaching them.

“Mr. Way, you’re requested to meet with Mr. Sinclair in the interrogation room immediately. It’s urgent.” Then Mars walked away as quickly as she came. Gerard looked at Brendon with a smirk.

“There’s our ticket to meeting the little victim.” Gerard was excited, he couldn’t wait to see what was going through the victim’s mind. This could possibly be the most interesting case he’s had all year, but little did Gerard know, it would be interesting for all the wrong reasons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so excited to start writing this book!  
> This is my first full-length story so please be patient with me.
> 
> Also, to clear something up: Gerard doesn’t work for the CIA, he works for a separate agency (that is completely fictional) who is in close communications with the CIA
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, it means so much <3  
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> P.S: You can also find me on Wattpad @nubivagantkidxx


	2. Let’s Talk About the Victim

When Gerard and Brendon arrived at the door of the interrogation room, they could see that another security guard was standing there. Since Brendon spent most of his time with Gerard and not with the other guards, he didn’t know who the man was, but one could assume it was Mr. Sinclair’s personal guard. As the two men went to enter the room, the guard held up his hand.

“Excuse me, but personal guards aren’t permitted to be in the room.” That sounded like bullshit to Gerard. Brendon goes everywhere with him, even to interrogations. Gerard tuned into his ability and sure enough, the guard was lying. 

_“If I’m not allowed in the room then this guard isn’t either. It’s just not fair that he gets to go places that most guards can’t.”_ Gerard almost laughed right in the guard’s face. Turns out he just has a bad case of envy for Brendon.

“Wow, what a jealous soul you are.” Gerard smirked and opened the door. The guard looked at the Gerard with a mixture of surprise and confusion as he and Brendon entered the room.

***

Contrary to it being described as a room, the “interrogation room” was actually a set of three rooms. Upon entering, you’re standing in the waiting room, the room where everyone lounges about while waiting for interrogation to start. On the left was the entrance to the conference room and within that room is a small doorway that leads to the questioning room. There was no one in the waiting area so Gerard assumed the meeting had already started. Gerard and Brendon headed toward the conference room and prepared themselves for the chaos of interrogations.

“Agent Zero, so nice of you to finally join us.” As they set foot into the room, Gerard and Brendon were immediately greeted by the pretentious Titanic Sinclair. Gerard hated Mr. Sinclair with a burning passion, and he had every right to. Titanic was an arrogant bastard who thought he was better than everyone just because he was head of the agency and got to communicate with the CIA the most.

“Don’t call me that, Titanic. You know we don’t use those stupid names anymore.” In the agency, everyone used to have a code name so that no one’s identity was figured out while out on a mission. However, a couple of years ago, a rogue agent posted everyone’s identity and code name on social media. After that, the agency shut down for awhile, most agents had quit and they had to hire new ones. Gerard had stayed though, all he needed to do to disclose his identity again was to let his hair grow out and dye it a beautiful, raven black. Now, in order to keep identities a secret, they just don’t say any kind of name while on a mission outside the agency building.

“Any _you_ don’t get to call me by my first name. You may address me as Mr. Sinclair or Director Seven.”

“Would you please drop the ridiculous code names, nobody cares if we call you by your first name, as long as we’re in the building.”

“Well, I’m trying to be professional here, Agent Zero.”

“Then how come Mars can call you by your first name, hmmm?” Brendon chimed in, which earned him a stare from Titanic and a suppressed giggle from Gerard. Then, a quiet snicker came from the corner of the room. Brendon and Gerard quickly turned to face a young looking man sitting in a chair at the end of the long table in the center of the room.

“Sorry if I startled you, Titanic was supposed to introduce me but I guess he got sidetracked.” Titanic began to glare at the young man.

“Agent Sixx, please have some-“

“My name is Andy, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” The man, Andy, stood up and walked over to Gerard and Brendon with an extended hand. He shook hands with Brendon first and then took Gerard’s hand, while leaning in close to his ear.

“Don’t worry, I think Titanic is a bitch too.” The shared whisper was enough to bring a smile to Gerard’s face. Andy leaned back and let go of Gerard’s hand. They gave each other a subtle nod of agreement and went to sit down at the table. 

Brendon and Gerard sat on one side of the table, with their backs facing the doorway to the questioning room, and Andy sat on the opposite side. Titanic stood at the head of the table, the side farthest from the entrance of the room. Titanic folded his hands and cleared his throat, trying to look as professional as possible.

“So, let’s talk about our victim.” Titanic opened a folder that was previously laying on the table and took out some papers. “Frank Anthony Iero Jr., 30 year old white male from Belleville, New Jersey. Has lived in Richmond, Virginia most of his life. Now owns an apartment in Belleville...” Titanic carried on and started mumbling the words to himself while flipping through page after page of useless background information. Gerard was slowly getting more and more irritated. Apparently, so was Andy 

“Just skip through the boring details and tell us the basic shit we actually need to know.” Andy was feeling very snappy today, Gerard could tell, Andy’s mind was like a minefield of insults. Titanic gave Andy his signature death stare.

“Agent Sixx, I’ve just about had it with you. But if you insist on knowing the “basic” stuff then here you go. Our criminal, Frank Iero, has been accused of placing six crates of C4 all around New Jersey. He has apparently accumulated a plan to “blow up the state”, but in reality, his bombs will only destroy the main parts of New Jersey. Mr. Iero has supposedly proved time and time again that he is capable of pulling off dangerous stunts but he hasn't done any bad enough to catch our attention. He didn't purchase the bombs himself, he went through a long ordeal to acquire them over the black market for free. He has the thinking skills of a criminal mastermind and the coordination skills of a chimpanzee. However, Mr. Iero has a remote that controls all the bombs but our intelligence centers haven't figured out where it's located yet. That's where you come in, Agent Zero." Titanic gave Gerard a stern look after finishing his matter-of-fact like speech. Gerard took a moment to process the information Titanic had just spewed out, he also took this time to see what Titanic was thinking.

 _“This bitch better not screw our mission up.”_ Gerard was flattered. He stood up and walked towards the door to the questioning room.

“Let’s go interrogate this bastard.” Without any hesitation, Gerard opened the door and walked inside, leaving Brendon, Andy, and Titanic behind him.

Let the interrogation begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter wasn’t that good, I promise actual storyline is coming soon.
> 
> I also edited this while being half-asleep so if there’s any mistakes, please tell me in the comments.
> 
> Love y’all, thanks for reading <3


	3. Trial and Error

Frank was many things and patient was definitely not one of them.

He had been waiting in this small, dark room for what seemed like hours and he was getting quite anxious. The seconds started to feel like minutes and minutes started to feel like hours. It was a dreadful feeling, the agony of waiting for your interrogation, especially in the type of environment Frank was currently occupying. The only things in the room were a metal table, two metal chairs, one of which Frank was sitting on, and a security guard. There was also a single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling but it proved to be pointless against the sheer darkness of the room. The security guard also seemed to be pointless. Frank tried to strike up a conversation with him multiple times, which only resulted in a Frank being ignored. If anything, the guard was more like a brick wall than a human. However, Frank was bored and tried yet again to get some small talk going.

"So... do you do this often?" Silence. "Who's the most interesting criminal you've met?" More silence. At this point, Frank was getting pretty irritated with the guard. "Don't you ever get bored of standing there like a giant gorilla? I understand that it's hard for gorillas to talk but can you at least grunt?"

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the door opened to reveal a sharp looking man clad in a suit that matched his jet black hair. In fact, everything matched, all accept for his dark red tie. 

Frank wasn't sure as to whether he should be relieved or terrified. He was thankful that the wait was over but the problem was... _the wait was over._ His interrogation had begun and it was now a matter of lie and live or tell the truth and pay the price. However, Frank was determined to keep his freedom and he'll do whatever it takes. From now on, he has to be extremely secretive or this whole plan will fail, and Frank wasn't going to let that happen.

***

Gerard was practically bouncing of the walls from all the excitement. He strode into the questioning room with as much confidence as ever. He couldn't wait to pry open this guy's head. He had his heart set on flipping through Frank's thoughts like a picture book and Gerard was certain it would be the most interesting picture book he's ever read. He went over to the table in the center of the small room and stood across from where Frank was sitting, completely ignoring the empty chair in front of him. Just by looking at him, Gerard could sense that this was going to be fun.

But there was one thing he couldn't sense- Frank's train of thought.

Gerard's face immediately fell. He tried searching everywhere, trying to perceive everything that could possibly be in the air. The only thoughts he could find were those of the security guard who was still standing in the corner.

_"I’m not a gorilla, I’m more of a capuchin.. or maybe a spider monkey.”_

The guard’s strange thoughts aside, Gerard was panicking at this point. How could this be? He can hear everyone's thoughts, there's never been a person his ability didn't work on. What makes this guy any different? In the midst of his rapid thinking, Gerard's attention was then pulled from this dilemma and focused on Frank's sudden movement. Frank had stood up from the chair and was glaring at Gerard. He then cleared his throat and began talking.

"So, are we gonna get on with this or are you just gonna stare at me? I mean, I know I'm good looking but I've got precious information in this brain of mine." Gerard almost scoffed at this. Frank was certainly a cocky fellow, however, he didn't look half bad. Frank seemed awfully familiar though, almost like a childhood friend. If only he could read his goddamn mind. Gerard would love to see this "precious information" in his brain but it seems like the universe has other plans. Nevertheless, the interrogation must go on. Gerard composed himself and adjusted his stance. He ran his fingers through his slightly greasy hair and then clasped his hands behind his back.

"Frank Iero, you've been accused of placing C4 throughout the state of New Jersey. You've got one hour to try and convince me otherwise. However, I'll make things easy by simply asking you- did you or did you _not_ lay bombs around the state?" It was a plain and straightforward statement but it got right to the point. Gerard was really going to have to rely on his words until he figures out why he can't read Frank's thoughts. He was waiting for Frank to just confess already but apparently this victim was a hard-headed one.

"You really wanna accuse me of an action so vile? If anything, I should be accusing _you_ of harassment. You can't just send agents to a guys apartment and have them shove fucking chloroform in your face." This interrogation was already proving to be difficult. Frank seemed like a stubborn bitch but Gerard could tell that he was all talk, zero bite. He had a hard time believing that Frank was capable of the type of mischief he was charged for. Gerard then decided that they both needed to take a less hostile approach toward the interrogation.

"Please, take a seat," Gerard asked in a very calm manner. Frank compiled at sat back down, Gerard also sat down in the chair in front of him. "Also, Frank, you're avoiding the question. Do you have bombs planted around the state, yes or no? It's a simple question that even a heathen like you could answer." Frank's gaze wavered slightly but he immediately regained it and stared straight at Gerard.

"You really think I'm going to give you a straight answer? Haven't you done this a million times before, agent? You know it's not gonna be that easy." Frank was right, Gerard had done this a million times, but he'd never done anything without his ability. Gerard started to feel worried. What if the only reason he was a good agent was because of his power? 

Suddenly, Gerard had the most insane idea ever. It was so ridiculous it was bound to work or it was a set up for failure. Either way, it was worth a shot. This plan may be the only way Gerard was going to crack Frank.

"How would you like to go on a road trip, Iero?"

"Excuse me?" Frank's facial features went from smug to confused in aa instant. Gerard then leaned over the table and grabbed Frank's shirt collar so that they were eye-to-eye with each other. So much for a calm approach, but Gerard needed to get his point across.

" _We_ are going on a road trip together. On this trip, you're going to take me to every single place you have supposedly planted a bomb. I'm going to personally watch you defuse all of them or else I will send you directly to prison, without any trial. Or, you can save us all some trouble and just confess right now. If you do that, I'll have a fair trial set up for you. Are we clear?" Gerard wasn't even sure if he was allowed to do this but it was the best bet he had. Frank would probably fess up right now anyways, not wanting to take his chances. Gerard didn't blame him, an expedition with a secret agent to defuse bombs that you placed didn't seem too pleasant. Gerard didn't know many people that would take up that offer.

But it seems Gerard had Frank figured out all wrong. Frank had made direct eye contact with Gerard and responded with absolutely no hesitation.

"A road trip sounds like a lovely time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, some story development!
> 
> Why do you think Frank agreed so easily?  
> How do you think the trip is gonna turn out?
> 
> I should have an update in the next two weeks but no promises. Midterms are coming up and I have to put school first.
> 
> Take care, loves! 
> 
> \- Greyson


	4. Get in the Damn Car

"He's absolutely insane."

Frank was left in the room again with no one but the security guard. Gerard had left immediately after Frank agreed to his crazy idea and now Frank has taken up the task of talking to the guard, even if getting a word out of him proved to be extremely difficult. Surprisingly though, Frank actually enjoyed talking to the seemingly quiet man.

"He can't just take me on a road trip, right? I mean, _technically_ I'm a 'dangerous criminal' and I need to stay locked up. Therefore, I can't leave this building." The guard looked at Frank and raised his eyebrows in an inquiring gesture. He took this as a sign to continue. "Well, I guess if it's part of my trial he can. And he'll probably take other guards and agents with him to keep him protected. Hey, do you think you can come?" Frank couldn't help himself, he wanted this guard to be a friend. He hoped that if he could get on the guard's good side, he'll vouch for Frank if anything goes wrong... Frank wasn't expecting a response though, until suddenly the guard opened his mouth.

"I'll go if they find it necessary. I'll definitely go if they bring Brendon along." Frank was ecstatic, he actually got the guard to talk after it appeared to be hopeless. Now for some real fun.

"Who's Brendon?" The guard immediately blushed and looked at the floor.

"Um, I'm sorry. I'm not even allowed to tell you people's names, let alone who they truly are."

"Can you tell me your name?" The guard debated the question in his head before answering.

"I guess I'm not that significant. My name is Ryan."

"My name is Frank, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. If only we met in better conditions, I think we could be great friends." Frank had to appear naive in order to get this guy on his side. It made him sick to his stomach but it was necessary.

"You seem like an alright guy, Frank. How did you get yourself into this situation?"

"Unfortunately, I'm not entirely sure. I guess I fell in with the wrong crowd, got desperate for money, for friends. You know, typical sob story." Typical sob story indeed. That's exactly how you set your trap to catch the sympathy of others, especially with the story being fake. Ryan sighed.

"That sucks man. You just got bad luck, I guess."

"Yeah..."

Subsequently, the question room door opened yet again and a guy Frank had never seen before entered. However, Ryan knew exactly who he was.

"Oh, hey Andy. Is it time to put Frank in a proper cell? " Ryan grinned at him like an old friend but he got a scowl in return.

"Ugh, you fucking idiot, you can't say our names in front of criminals. No wonder you're never allowed to assist on big missions. You're lucky you're Brendon's boyfriend or else you would've never gotten this job." Ryan was stunned into silence and immediately filled with shame. Frank, however, was filled with pure rage. He quickly stood up and and glared at Andy.

"How dare you talk to him like that. Why don't you get off your high fucking horse and learn to be patient with people. He could be great at his job if you stop putting him down."

"Um, excuse me but why don't you sit your ass back down and shut the fuck up. You can't speak to an official like that, you have zero rights in this building."

"Oh, you wanna go?"

"Yeah, lets go-" Thankfully, Andy was cut off by Titanic's voice ringing through his earpiece.

_"We don't have all day Agent Sixx."_

Andy walked over to Frank and swiftly put handcuffs on him. He leaned in close and whispered to Frank.

"We'll finish this later, Iero."

***

"I can't believe I'm letting you do this." 

Titanic sighed and rubbed his temple for the thousandth time. He was standing in the agency building's parking lot, accompanied by Gerard and Brendon. Some other guards were preparing a black Mercedes Benz, Gerard's car of choice, for the long trip ahead.

"C'mon Titanic, you know you love me." Gerard was feeling rather cheeky, meaning that it was the perfect time to get on Titanic's nerves.

"Please Agent Zero, lets focus on the task at hand. This trip could be extremely dangerous, we don't know what Mr. Iero is capable of."

"Oh, Frankie? He's my best buddy, we're just going on a friendly vacation. It's a shame you can't join us, Jamaica is beautiful this time of year." Titanic glared at Gerard, who suddenly burst out laughing. Brendon soon followed in the spontaneous giggling and Titanic just walked away, having had enough with the two's shenanigans. Brendon recovered from the outburst first and turned to Gerard, who was still doubled over in a laughing fit.

"You _really_ know how to piss Titanic off." Gerard composed himself and straightened his posture.

"It's one of my specialties, Brendon. Hey, look, here comes the guy." Gerard pointed to his right and sure enough, Frank was getting escorted outside, accompanied by Ryan and Andy. They walked right up to Gerard and Brendon and before they could say anything, Gerard took this time to read their thoughts.

_"I sure hope this guy is innocent. He doesn't seem to have a bad bone in his body."_

_"This psycho better get put behind bars, I don't like the way he looks at me."_

Gerard was intrigued, he wondered what led these two to have entirely different opinions. However, that wasn't important right now, getting Frank into the car was the top priority at the moment.

"Here's your criminal, sir, and enjoy your trip. Unfortunately, I have other things to attend to, but this guard will be joining you." Andy shoved Frank forward and turned to walk away, but not without giving a bitter glance toward Ryan. Frank stumbled, as a result of the shove, and ended up hitting Gerard's chest. Gerard backed away and began to adjust his tie.

"Be careful where you step, Iero. One wrong move and you're in deep waters. Now let's get moving." Gerard looked to Brendon for assistance but he was too busy staring at Ryan. Gerard then rolled his eyes, grabbed Frank's handcuffed wrist, and walked to the car. When they reached it, Gerard opened the door for Frank but he refused to get in.

"I am _not_ getting in a car to go on some wacky adventure with a bunch of strangers."

"I'm not a stranger, I'm a fucking secret agent. Now, do as I say and get in the damn car."

"I'd rather kiss your disgusting lips than get in the car." Gerard did a double-take. Did Frank say _kiss_ him? Gerard took a moment to regain his composure and brush the odd feeling away.

"Guard, a little help please?" Gerard called for Brendon, who was actually paying attention this time, to help their rebellious criminal into the vehicle. Brendon understood and went over to Frank, grabbed him around his middle, and threw him into the backseat. A loud cry of shock erupted from Frank but it was quickly muffled by the car door slamming shut. Brendon then looked back at Gerard.

"You really sure you wanna do this?"

"It can't hurt to try." Gerard then walked over to the passenger side of the car and got in. Brendon got situated behind the wheel and Ryan took a seat in the back, keeping watch on Frank. Brendon turned the key in the ignition and took the car out of park. 

Before pulling away, Gerard looked back at Titanic, who was still standing in the parking lot. He looked truly distressed, which is a feeling he rarely shows. For one moment, Gerard second guessed his plan, until he looked at Frank in the rear view mirror and remembered exactly what he's doing this for.

Gerard Way will remain the best agent, and nothing, not even a mind-flustering criminal, is going to stop that from happening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, loves!  
> Hope you enjoyed this update 
> 
> If there are any mistakes please tell me, I love when people help me edit.  
> So long and goodnight 
> 
> \- Greyson


	5. Playing Games and Saying Names

"Well, I think I'm owed a proper introduction."

They had been in the car for a good five minutes when that statement finally arose, breaking the awkward silence that had taken over the car. Frank was staring at Gerard through the rear view mirror with a look of blatant curiosity. Gerard stared right back at him with faux innocence clouding his eyes.

"And what led you to believe that, dear Frank?"

Before Frank could retort, Brendon butted his way into the conversation.

"Gerard, we're gonna be hanging out with this guy for who knows how long. We can at least tell him our names." At first, Gerard felt betrayed but then he took this opportunity to get another jab at Frank.

"Of course, you're completely right Brendon. Besides, once we're done with this mission, Frank will be behind bars before he can tell anyone our identities. So, we might as well have some fun before he loses his freedom forever." Frank scoffed at this and turned to face Ryan. 

"Are you just gonna let them bully me like this?" Before he could respond, Brendon chimed in yet again.

"Don't talk to my boyfriend, Iero. You're already skating on thin ice here." Frank totally ignored Brendon, having to not want to argue with him, and turned his attention back to Gerard.

"Y'know, I had a childhood friend named Gerard. He was a brat and always carried around this stupid doll," Gerard was about to respond but Frank had already moved on to the driver, "And your name is Brendon? Man, you sure are a protective boyfriend, also I got one question for you, where the hell are you even driving us to?"

"Well, that's a very good question, where's our first stop Frank?"

"You really think I'm just gonna tell you? What's with you guys and thinking I'll openly tell you shit?" Frank was honestly surprised, he thought secret agents were supposed to be more professional than this, but right now they were being anything but professional. If anything, Gerard was being a bit childish with all the mocking and prodding at Frank.

"We're just trying to teach you a lesson about telling the truth Frankie." Frank probably retorted to Gerard's taunt but he wasn't paying attention because he was busy reading Brendon's thoughts

_"What is up with Gerard? He would usually have this guy figured out by now but all he's doing is playing games."_

Gerard knew Brendon wasn't thinking that in spite of him but it still stung nonetheless. Gerard knows this mission is a little wonky but he can't help it if Frank has a stubborn mind, literally and figuratively. If only Gerard knew why he can't read it. However, he did have another idea that would work for now. If Brendon thought that Gerard was "playing games" before, now comes the real fun.

"Frank, why don't we try this again. Where's our first destination?"

"Oh c'mon, agents are supposed to be all affirmative and threatening. Why are you being so nice?"

"We're just trying to warm up to you Frank, it would be a tragedy if we were to be nothing but enemies." Gerard unbuckled his seatbelt and turned around to fully look Frank. He put on his most devious face and waited for a response. Frank was not amused.

"I'm a criminal, you're an agent trying to throw me in jail, of course we're going to be enemies. Please don't tell me you're one of those "everyone deserves world peace" kind of person." Frank said that last part in a mocking tone but Gerard felt anything but mocked, in fact he felt encouraged to go on with his mischievous behavior.

"Of course I'm not one for world peace but I do strongly believe in spreading love." As he was saying this, Gerard slowly lifted up his hand and gently placed it on Frank's knee, earning him confused glances from both Brendon and Ryan and a very nervous look from Frank. "Now tell me Frank, where are we going? Or do you just wanna spend the rest of the day in the car with me?" Gerard was now slowing dragging his hand farther and farther up Frank's thigh. He made sure to lightly drag his fingernails along too, which made goosebumps erupt all over Frank's skin. He began to light shiver as Gerard's hand was nearing the end of his thigh. However, Frank tried to swat the hand away, which led Gerard to lean back towards Frank and use his other hand to hold Frank back. 

At this point, Frank was feeling very conflicted. He wanted this to end but at the same time he _didn't_ want it to end. Frank was completely flustered now and wanted these emotions to leave. He can't feel this way about Gerard, he's supposed to be the enemy. But unfortunately, Frank couldn't deny his feelings as Gerard's hand grew closer and closer to his crotch. Frank looked at Gerard and saw no signs of him stopping. Frank was about to explode so he decided this can't go on any longer.

"Menlo Park! The bomb is in Menlo Park." Frank felt ashamed of himself for letting Gerard get into his head like that. He hung his head low and avoided any kind of eye-contact as Gerard removed his hands from him. He then let out a defeated sigh and turned his body so that he could stare out the window. Gerard had turned back around in his seat and buckled his seatbelt once again. He turned towards Brendon, who was plugging their destination into the GPS, and greeted him with a smug look.

"So, how far away is Menlo Park from here?"

"It says it'll take us about 30 minutes, apparently traffic is being a bitch." Brendon went on grumbling about the cars on the road as Gerard looked at the clock. It read 5:30 pm. _'Perfect'_ , thought Gerard, _'It doesn't get dark until around nine so we should have plenty of time'_. He then settled back into his seat and prepared to relax for the half hour drive ahead. For once, everything felt like it was back in his control and Gerard hoped that this mission could now carry on smoothly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gerard was gettin a bit spicy but it worked ;)  
> Do you really think the rest of the trip will go down smoothly?  
> The comments are always open, they really do make my day 
> 
> Thanks for reading my book, it means so much to me!
> 
> \- Greyson


	6. It'll Be a Walk in the Park

They arrived at their destination at exactly 6:02 that evening, thanks to some expert speeding and cursing from Brendon. 

Menlo Park was a small little area to the east of Middlesex county. It gained its popularity by being the site of Thomas Edison's laboratory and now has much tourism due to the Thomas Edison museum that resides there. After some further questioning, and teasing from Gerard in the car, Frank revealed the bomb was placed somewhere around the Thomas Edison Memorial Tower, one of the most popular tourist attractions. Thankfully, the site closes at 4 pm so they won't have to worry about any curious tourists snooping around during their investigation.

Brendon drove up the small road leading to the museum parking lot and came to a stop at the small toll booth. To much of their luck, an employee was still hanging around in the small building. Brendon rolled down his window and looked at the woman occupying the booth. She took a pair of glasses from off her head and put them on to look at Brendon.

"I'm sorry sir but we are closed, I'm only catching up on some paperwork here so if you could kindly turn around and come back tomorrow, it would be greatly appreciated." Brendon knew this type of response was coming so he reached into his pocket, pulled out his agency ID and showed it to the lady.

"Hi, yes, sorry to barge in like this but I'm in close relations with the CIA and I have specific orders to search the location. I'm not allowed to tell you any details of our crisis but if you open the gates for us, you could lend a helping hand in saving our nation." In the passenger seat, Gerard shook his head slightly in embarrassment. Brendon always tends to exaggerate in these types of situations.

Outside of the car, the woman's eyes immediately filled with realization. She reached her hand up worriedly and tugged on her hair, then immediately brought her hand down to bite her nail. With her other hand, she quickly pushed a button that allowed the gate to be opened and turned her attention back to Brendon.

"Oh, of course! Please, carry on, I'll leave immediately to give you more privacy. Be careful sir, good luck." The woman began frantically gathering her papers and stuffing them in a small backpack. As she was about to head out of the booth, Brendon hastily drove away with a small smirk tracing his lips. Gerard, however, was not amused.

"You see Brendon, this is why you can't exaggerate things like you do. You just about gave that poor woman a heart attack! It's not like the bomb is going to explode right now, we still have about three weeks."

Brendon simply nodded, agreeing with Gerards statement. However, Frank was in the back of the car, smiling to himself with information that could possibly change their theory. With Gerard not being able to read Frank's mind, he was unaware of this knowledge and signaled for Brendon to continue driving up the narrow road to their first destination.

***

Frank was stoked to finally get out of the stuffy car atmosphere and be greeted with his favorite Jersey weather. It was the middle of November and the air was crisp and cold with the promise of snow later on. The trees were orange and red in stark contrast with the electric blue of the sky. It was cloudless and the wind was just right. 

Before Frank could enjoy it for long, Brendon came behind him and clenched his handcuffed wrists tighter behind his back. Frank twitched in slight surprisement as Gerard slowly crept to stand in front of him.

"Now, I know we had some fun earlier today but it's time for business and if you try anything funny I can throw you right into jail. You understand?" Without waiting for a response, Gerard turned around once more and started walking towards their destination. Frank then followed him with Brendon pushing him forward, maintaining an unnecessarily tight grip on his wrists. Ryan meekly went to walk beside Brendon and stayed quiet, seeming to have no role and didn't want to disturb the others intense focus.

It was a short walk to the memorial tower and soon enough, all four of the men were standing in front of the gigantic thing. Ranking in at 131 feet, this tower was glorious with a little lightbulb on top. It was almost dark, yet the sky was still a brilliant bright blue, so the lightbulb was casting a dim glow around the terrace. Gerard began walking around the base of the tower, inspecting for anything suspicious. The rest of the men were standing back, with Frank holding his breath and hoping that Gerard wasn't searching hard enough.

However, much to Frank's dismay, Gerard eventually starts waving his arms for the others to come to him.

"Hey, I think I found it!" Brendon walked over with Frank and Ryan in tow and sure enough, Gerard had found something. There was a small piece of the building that had appeared to be cut off and put back in place at some point in time. It was halfway covered by the tall grass but luckily, Gerard is a fully experienced secret agent and knows to look for these type of things. With a signal from Gerard, Brendon went over and removed the stone block from its position, with only a little help from Ryan. All the while, Frank was just standing there with a sense of defeat yet dignity.

The bomb was located in a small compartment and Gerard took out the tools he needed to defuse it. As he began to work Frank tried to distract him. He didn't want Gerard anywhere near the bomb because he was either going to defuse it or be caught in the middle of an explosion 

"So Gerard, you got a lady at home? You gonna miss her while we're away? I'm sure you are so you should probably just give up and carry on with your time. As you can see the bombs are no big deal and you can easily defuse them because you are so smart and skilled so there is no need to hunt them when they probably won't make a big impact and-" Suddenly, Frank was cut off by Brendon's hand slapping his face and then covering his mouth. He could tell that Frank's neverending bantering was driving Gerard insane and plus, it gave him another excuse to hit him. 

Really, the talking wasn't bothering Gerard too much, it was just the fact that Frank asked if he had "a lady". Gerard is already ashamed of being single. And he definitely doesn't want Frank to know he was, and the reason why he was...

Thankfully, Gerard finally defused the bomb without any mishaps. However, it seemed a bit odd. Usually there's at least some kind of aftermath beeping or lights or something.

"Well that was pretty anticlimactic." It seemed Brendon had the same conclusion as Gerard.

"It is a bit strange but we got the job done. Now all we need to do is get the other locations and then we're all set to go." Gerard packed up his stuff and stood up to leave but then, a quiet beeping started coming from the hole. Gerard put his arm up to everyone and put his finger over his lips. He slowly started walking closer and closer to the hole until suddenly a small explosion shook the ground. It knocked Gerard to his knees and the heat stung the right side of his body. Most of the explosion seemed to come from under the ground so no one was hurt but they definitely felt the effect of it.

Ryan was the first to go to Gerard's side and help him off the ground. He didn't seem to be hurt too badly but he was definitely shaken from the explosion. Frank seemed pretty shocked too, he was frozen in place and stared at the hole where the defused bomb had been. Once Gerard regained his balance he marched right over to the hole to inspect the bomb. It was still a little smoky but Gerard could see that the bomb he had defused was indeed still defused. It seemed to be in perfect shape but however, around the bomb was not intact. The dirt was all crumbled but the stone of the tower was untouched. From what Gerard could tell, there was another bomb underneath the one he had defused but the question was, how did it go off? The bombs weren't set to explode for another three weeks.

Gerard was about to go and read Frank's mind because surely he knew but then he remembered the whole reason why was doing this in the first place. This just made Gerard frustrated and he was about to go and attack Frank when suddenly Brendon had all the answers. He had been on the phone while the big commotion was going on and Andy, who had received some more information on their mission, filled Brendon in with the intel.

"Gerard, I know where all the other bombs are located, I'll tell you later but now it's getting dark and we should probably get a motel room or something." Brendon started walking back towards the car, but not before Gerard read his mind. It seems that Brendon didn"t tell the whole story to him.

_"Frank isn't alone in his plans, so it looks like we need to go on a manhunt now."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, thank you so much for sticking with me through my hiatus but i promise i'm back now. i was overcoming some personal challenges but now i'm ready to start writing again.
> 
> hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! love you <3


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